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SUV Review: 2019 Lamborghini Urus

Andrew McCredie
Jul 15, 2019  •  May 19, 2021  •  4 minute read  •  Join the conversation
The 2019 Lamborghini Urus parked outside the Ivey Business School on the University of Western campus. If you aspire to one of these in your garage, an MBA from this place is a good start.
The 2019 Lamborghini Urus parked outside the Ivey Business School on the University of Western campus. If you aspire to one of these in your garage, an MBA from this place is a good start. Photo by Andrew McCredie

“The commute is going to be a cold, snowy and slippery one as the polar vortex has returned to the GTA with a vengeance, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get into work this morning. More details at the top of the hour…”

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Better take the Lambo!

That sentiment uttered just 18 months ago would be pure folly, the very thought of rolling out into snow-megaton in a supercar as absurd as, well, say the Raptors beating the Warriors in six games for the Larry O’Brien trophy.

But as of February, 2018, driving over snowy hill and dale in a Lamborghini isn’t just plausible; it’s downright sensible thanks to the supersuv Urus. I speak from firsthand experience as a few months ago I drove the mighty beast in and through said polar vortex. And the Bull-badged, all-wheel-drive, five-door not only rose to the challenge, it relished it. In large part that’s because the Urus, unlike it’s two-seat stablemates, isn’t built with a race track in mind (numerous YouTube videos notwithstanding). Rather, it’s designed to take on the elements and the elevation.

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Now, had I had my choice, I would have preferred to have spent my Urus seat-time in my home province of British Columbia, with skis on the roof, sticky 23-inch Pirellis on the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and Alice in Chains on the Bang & Olufsen. Instead, I found myself dodging TTC street cars on Queen Street, garbage-laden big rigs on the 401 and boot-clad pedestrians on unplowed side streets in London, Ontario.

  1. According to Lamborghini, the Urus accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 12.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 305 km/h.
    According to Lamborghini, the Urus accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 12.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 305 km/h. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  2. The Lamborghini Urus is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo aluminum engine, marking the first time a turbo has been tucked into a Lambo.
    The Lamborghini Urus is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo aluminum engine, marking the first time a turbo has been tucked into a Lambo. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  3. The Urus’ four-wheel drive system features a Torsen central self-locking differential to provide maximum control and agility in all driving conditions, particularly off-road.
    The Urus’ four-wheel drive system features a Torsen central self-locking differential to provide maximum control and agility in all driving conditions, particularly off-road. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  4. With no mountains in sight to scale, our test driver opted for a snow bank in a UWO parking lot to test out the Urus' climbing and descending capabilities.
    With no mountains in sight to scale, our test driver opted for a snow bank in a UWO parking lot to test out the Urus' climbing and descending capabilities. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  5. The optional 23-inch wheels underscore the over-the-top nature of this all-wheel-drive SUV.
    The optional 23-inch wheels underscore the over-the-top nature of this all-wheel-drive SUV. Photo by Andrew McCredie

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Despite the icy flatland terrain not once did I feel on sketchy terra firma, mostly due to Tamburo. No, that’s not a new, Left Coast meditation app; it’s the name of the Urus’s drive mode selector that fine tunes all manner of whiz-bang mechanical systems, from active torque vectoring to a Torsen central self-locking differential, and from an electrohydraulically controlled planetary gearbox to the four-wheel-steering. That latter feature is borrowed from the Aventador S and varies the rear steering angle up to plus/minus 3.0 degrees according to vehicle speed and driving mode selected.

There are six selectable modes, including Strata, Sport, Corsa, Sabbia, Terra and Neve (and yes, with a surname like McCredie, I turned to Google to figure that out). In any language, these modes translated to incredibly precise handling given the road conditions, and on no occasion did I sense that the 641 horsepower V8 twin turbo was going to get me into trouble, such was the traction and control of the Urus. To test this I did some, how shall we say, aggressive driving maneuverers in a snow covered—and empty I should add—University of Western Ontario parking lot. The only person more shocked than I was the campus cop who reluctantly had to get out of his car and into the freezing air to ask me just what the hell I was up to. He wasn’t impressed when I said, “It’s all good, grad of ’90!” He was appeased when I left, though the throttle bark might have had him spilling his Timmies.

  1. A driver-oriented cockpit befitting a vehicle sporting the Bull badge.
    A driver-oriented cockpit befitting a vehicle sporting the Bull badge. Photo by Lamborghini
  2. In any other Lamborghini model, this would be cause for a frog march to the wood shed. In the Urus, it's expected.
    In any other Lamborghini model, this would be cause for a frog march to the wood shed. In the Urus, it's expected. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  3. As much as you want to be in the driver's seat, rear accommodation is not too shabby.
    As much as you want to be in the driver's seat, rear accommodation is not too shabby. Photo by Lamborghini
  4. The Tamburo driving mode selector on the center console controls all dynamic vehicle systems and allows the selection of driving dynamics according to surface conditions or drivers’ preference. Better brush up on your Italian.
    The Tamburo driving mode selector on the center console controls all dynamic vehicle systems and allows the selection of driving dynamics according to surface conditions or drivers’ preference. Better brush up on your Italian. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  5. Who says you can't put golf clubs in a Lamborghini?
    Who says you can't put golf clubs in a Lamborghini? Photo by Lamborghini
  6. Our test driver's time with the Urus resulted in a fuel economy rating higher than the NRCAN's 16.9 L/100km combined figure.
    Our test driver's time with the Urus resulted in a fuel economy rating higher than the NRCAN's 16.9 L/100km combined figure. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  7. The Urus cabin has plenty of nice design elements, something that can't be said for other models in the Lambo stable.
    The Urus cabin has plenty of nice design elements, something that can't be said for other models in the Lambo stable. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  8. A tasteful design nod to its country of origin.
    A tasteful design nod to its country of origin. Photo by Lamborghini
  9. The centre console screen controls all manner of cabin functions.
    The centre console screen controls all manner of cabin functions. Photo by Andrew McCredie
  10. The driver's gauge display is customizable and provides all the pertinent information required.
    The driver's gauge display is customizable and provides all the pertinent information required. Photo by Andrew McCredie

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As impressive as the vehicle dynamics are, the Urus cabin is something to behold. I’m not a big fan of most Lamborghini interiors, but I have to say designers and engineers really brought their A-game to this execution. Seats front and back are exceptional and crafted to keep occupants in place under tight cornering; the controls and gauges are in keeping with a luxury and performance vehicle—though with a certain and welcome Italian flare; and the optional Bang & Olufsen is so sweet you don’t mind when it drowns out the purr, and occasional roar, of the V8.

As with any super expensive super vehicle, there are inherent compromises that create flaws, the Urus’s two most prominent ones being fuel economy and a rear window slope and design that makes rearview mirror visibility almost non-existent. But rear seat room is great, and the cargo hatch is plenty big to carry golf clubs, luggage or, perhaps more appropriately, a few jerry cans.

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Supercar purists pooh-pooh the idea of fabled sports car manufacturers retooling their shop floors to crank out SUVs, but as Porsche proved two decades ago, adding a vehicle like the Cayenne to your portfolio not only plumps your bottom line, it provides the necessary wiggle room—and board blessing—to continue to build and refine not-so-profitable vehicles like the 911.

So how has the Urus affected Lamborghini’s sales? Let’s just say the Super SUV has super-sized them. Just last week a press release out of Sant’Agata Bolognese crowed that first half Lambo sales for 2019 have increased 96 per cent over the same time last year, and the 4,553 vehicles sold so far this year surpass the entire sales numbers for all of 2017. All thanks to the Urus, with a stunning 2,693 delivered since Jan. 1 of this year, representing 60 per cent of all Lambos sold. Second place goes to the ‘entry level’ Huracan, with 1,211 units sold so far this year. All of which makes McLaren’s promise to ‘never build an SUV’ about as likely as a Raptor’s repeat.

The largest market for Lamborghini remains the United States, followed by China, the U.K., Japan and Germany. Our country might not figure in that top 5, but in the Urus, Lamborghini has most definitely created a made-for-Canada vehicle, one that can tackle anything our extreme four-season climate can throw at it.

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